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Wed, 21 Feb 2018 16:29:31 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.15Judge Named Topps Card No. 1 for 2018http://sportsmediareport.net/2018/01/29/judge-named-topps-card-no-1-for-2018/
http://sportsmediareport.net/2018/01/29/judge-named-topps-card-no-1-for-2018/#commentsMon, 29 Jan 2018 15:44:58 +0000http://sportsmediareport.net/?p=2704New York Yankees star Aaron Judge continues to earn accolades as the reigning American League Rookie of the Year was voted to be Card No. 1 in 2018 Topps® Baseball Series 1 by thousands of fans as revealed exclusively on MLB Network today.

Baseball fans can get the newest Topps Judge card when the Major League Baseball season kicks off with 2018 Topps Baseball Series 1 hitting the stores on January 31. They can also find rookie cards, autograph cards of their favorite players, and an interactive sweepstakes that will last all baseball season with Home Run Challenge.

“Aaron Judge transcended baseball during his record-breaking rookie season,” said David Leiner, Topps Global General Manager. “Fans from across the league were excited to see him play so it comes as no surprise they voted for him to be Card No. 1 for this year’s set. We are thrilled to add him to the list of great players that have been featured on the first card of the year.”

Judge joins players such as Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, Mike Piazza and Derek Jeter as those who have claimed Card No. 1. Mike Trout and Kris Bryant were voted to the top spot the last two seasons, respectively, through an online vote.

Topps, the exclusive trading card partner of Major League Baseball, provides an experience unlike any other. Baseball fans and collectors can’t replicate the fun they have when opening a pack of cards.

Collecting and trading baseball cards has become a hobby that crosses generations with longtime collectors and newcomers alike getting in on the action.

“Collecting baseball cards is a great family activity from the moment you open a pack to getting your favorite player and then putting them in a binder,” Leiner said. “Baseball cards resonate with fans, which you see at the ballpark with fans asking players to sign their Topps cards or in stores where people get together to share in a special hobby.”

This year’s annual release looks at memorable moments and milestones including Jackie Robinson Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, and special throwback nights depicting unique uniforms worn. Topps is also honoring MLB’s award winners from 2017 with special cards made for the Most Valuable Players, Rookie of the Year award winners, Comeback Player of the Year and more.

]]>http://sportsmediareport.net/2018/01/29/judge-named-topps-card-no-1-for-2018/feed/0Vonn, Miller, Davis, White Among New Topps Olympic Trading Cardshttp://sportsmediareport.net/2018/01/23/vonn-miller-davis-white-among-new-topps-olympic-trading-cards/
http://sportsmediareport.net/2018/01/23/vonn-miller-davis-white-among-new-topps-olympic-trading-cards/#commentsTue, 23 Jan 2018 15:30:31 +0000http://sportsmediareport.net/?p=2678This week TOPPS will issue its latest set of Olympic trading cards in advance of the Winter Games. TOPPS has been the official trading card partner for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams since 2012, and this year’s set will showcase a record 50 athletes competing in Pyeongchang. The set is available beginning on Friday.

The highlights:

– Along with showcasing nearly 50 athletes, Topps also celebrates the legendary career of skier Lindsey Vonn as she chases her third Olympic medal in Pyeongchang. Each hobby box will include two Lindsey Vonn Career Milestones insert cards of the 15-card set.

– Each hobby box of 2018 Topps U.S. Olympics & Paralympic Hopefuls includes one autographed card and two relic cards, which feature a piece of Team USA apparel worn by the athlete.

– Fans can have a chance to find autographs from athletes such as Vonn, Bode Miller, Meryl Davis, Charlie White.

– Each hobby box contains one autograph and two memorabilia cards per box.

– Fans will get a chance to find rare autographs of past champions including Brian Boitano, Johnny Weir, Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan.

]]>http://sportsmediareport.net/2018/01/23/vonn-miller-davis-white-among-new-topps-olympic-trading-cards/feed/0Topps Signs Ohtani To Card-Autograph Dealhttp://sportsmediareport.net/2018/01/08/topps-signs-ohtani-to-card-autograph-deal/
http://sportsmediareport.net/2018/01/08/topps-signs-ohtani-to-card-autograph-deal/#commentsMon, 08 Jan 2018 16:53:10 +0000http://sportsmediareport.net/?p=2603Baseball fans looking to collect the rookie cards of Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani won’t have to wait long. The Topps Company, the exclusive trading card partner of Major League Baseball, is proud to announce it has signed Ohtani to a trading card and long-term autograph deal for the upcoming MLB season.

His first pack-pulled trading card will appear in late spring, just in time for Ohtani to join the Los Angeles Angels in Spring Training. His cards will be featured in Topps® products throughout the year, including cards that will be autographed by the 23-year-old star.

“Getting a deal with Shohei Ohtani was a priority for us because we want the best for our Topps fans,” said David Leiner, Topps Global General Manager, Sports & Entertainment. “Ohtani is a dynamic two-way player who has gained a lot of attention because of his incredible talent. We are thrilled to offer his trading cards and autographed cards to baseball fans.”

Ohtani was a much sought after player from Japan. While he is known for his pitching – he had 624 strikeouts in 543 career innings in the Japan Pacific League – he is also quite the hitter, which made him a hot commodity this offseason. Over the last two seasons in the JPPL, Ohtani hit .322 with 30 home runs and 98 RBI in 169 games.

Ohtani will have some of the most highly coveted baseball cards and collectibles on the market in 2018, and Topps is the only place where baseball enthusiasts will be able to get his officially licensed MLB trading cards.

“He’s an incredible talent that transcends baseball and we’re exciting for him to join a long list of great baseball players who have Topps rookie cards,” Leiner added.

Follow Topps on Twitter (@topps), Instagram (@topps) and Facebook (@topps) for the latest updates and see the first images of Ohtani’s rookie cards.

]]>http://sportsmediareport.net/2018/01/08/topps-signs-ohtani-to-card-autograph-deal/feed/0Topps Creates Global Sports & Entertainment Divisionhttp://sportsmediareport.net/2017/12/21/topps-creates-global-sports-entertainment-division/
http://sportsmediareport.net/2017/12/21/topps-creates-global-sports-entertainment-division/#commentsThu, 21 Dec 2017 17:03:00 +0000http://sportsmediareport.net/?p=2581The Topps Company Inc., a leading creator of confectionery, sports cards and entertainment products, today announced the combination of its North American and International Sports & Entertainment divisions into one Global Sports & Entertainment division. David Leiner, currently the General Manager of North American Sports & Entertainment, has been appointed Global General Manager of the new, combined division and will be responsible for leading and directing its strategy and business operations.

“We’re creating one Global Sports & Entertainment division to allow us to serve our partners more efficiently as they compete globally and to address consumer demands from an increasingly global marketplace,” said Michael Brandstaedter, President and CEO of Topps. “David has delivered breakthrough innovation and significant operational success in North America and we look forward to bringing that experience to our markets and products throughout the world,” said Mr. Brandstaedter.

Mr. Leiner joined Topps in August 2009. Prior to his roles at Topps, Mr. Leiner worked for Madison Dearborn Partners and Goldman Sachs.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to work across the globe with our outstanding partners and with the many talented people at Topps,” said Leiner.

Chris Rodman, who led the International Sports & Entertainment division for more than 20 years, will continue to remain involved with the business as a consultant on Topps’ key soccer projects and other matters. “Chris has been a vital part of the growth of Topps’ International Sports & Entertainment business and his experience and knowledge of the international markets will continue to be of great value for us going forward,” said Brandstaedter.

The Japanese superstar’s first TOPPS NOW® broke the program’s print-run record with 17,323 copies sold in just a 24-hour period.

The Aaron Judge card featuring his record-breaking 50th home run held the previous TOPPS NOW record, which sold 16,138 copies.

Ohtani was a much sought after player from Japan. While he is known for his pitching – he had 624 strikeouts in 543 career innings in Japan – he is also quite the hitter, making him a hot commodity this offseason. Over the last two seasons in Japan, Ohtani hit .326 with 30 home runs and 98 RBI in 169 games.

]]>http://sportsmediareport.net/2017/12/18/los-angeles-angels-shohei-ohtani-breaks-topps-now-record/feed/0Yanks’ Stanton Earns First TOPPS NOW In Pinstripeshttp://sportsmediareport.net/2017/12/12/yanks-stanton-earns-first-topps-now-in-pinstripes/
http://sportsmediareport.net/2017/12/12/yanks-stanton-earns-first-topps-now-in-pinstripes/#commentsTue, 12 Dec 2017 19:45:27 +0000http://sportsmediareport.net/?p=2545He may be new to pinstripes, but Giancarlo Stanton isn’t wasting any time getting the TOPPS NOW treatment from the venerable card company. The Yankees’ shiny new right fielder has his first baseball card in the famed Yankees garb, with images from Monday’s press conference available to fans until noon ET on Wednesday.

Stanton, who slashed .281/.376/.631 in his huge MVP season last year, slugging 59 home runs and driving in 132 runs in the process, joins A.L. home run champ Aaron Judge in the Yankees outfield for 2018. Judge was a hugely popular hit with TOPPS fans, with seven of the top 10 selling cards in 2017 in the format, the joint venture between Topps and MLB that provides the best images to fans on a daily basis.

]]>http://sportsmediareport.net/2017/12/12/yanks-stanton-earns-first-topps-now-in-pinstripes/feed/0The Topps Company Unveils the Topps® MLB All-Star Rookie Teamhttp://sportsmediareport.net/2017/11/07/the-topps-company-unveils-the-topps-mlb-all-star-rookie-team/
http://sportsmediareport.net/2017/11/07/the-topps-company-unveils-the-topps-mlb-all-star-rookie-team/#commentsTue, 07 Nov 2017 15:20:38 +0000http://sportsmediareport.net/?p=2404This season’s Topps® MLB All-Star Rookie Team features one of the strongest classes in its 58-year history with record breakers, rising stars and potential award winners.

Eleven MLB players were named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team led by New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder CodyBellinger, both frontrunners for their league’s respective Rookie of the Year Awards. The Topps All-Star Rookie Team was officially unveiled on MLB Network’s Hot Stove today.

“This is one of the most impressive Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team classes I have seen,” said David Leiner, Vice President and General Manager of Topps North American Sports & Entertainment. “It shows how incredibly popular baseball was this year with its young breakout stars. They join an incredible group of players who have won the Topps Rookie Cup in the past and will have the special logo appear on their Topps trading cards next season.”

For the second year in a row, baseball fans can get special TOPPS NOW® cards of the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team immediately with an exclusive set available on Topps.com.

Three MLB teams had multiple players named to the Topps All-Star Rookie, including the New York Yankees with Judge and left-handed pitcher JordanMontgomery; the Boston Red Sox with outfielder Andrew Benintendi and third baseman Rafael Devers; and the Milwaukee Brewers with catcher Manny Pina and relief pitcher Josh Hader.

The members of the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team will have their 2018 flagship trading cards feature a “Rookie Cup” logo depicting the honor.

Other members of the Topps All-Star Rookie Team include Chicago Cubs’ second baseman Ian Happ, St. Louis Cardinals’ short stop Paul DeJong, Baltimore Orioles’ outfielder Trey Mancini, and Colorado Rockies right-handed pitcher German Marquez.

Last year’s Topps MLB All-Rookie team included a number of players that competed in the 2017 World Series including Houston’s Alex Bregman, and Los Angeles’ Corey Seager, and Kenta Maeda.

Past honorees of the Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team have included former MVPs such as Buster Posey, Ichiro, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Cal Ripken Jr. In addition, more than 20 former Topps MLB All-Star Rookie Team members have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame including all three 2017 HOF inductees Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez.

Here’s the full list of the 2017 Topps All-Star Rookie Team:

C – Manny Pina, Brewers

1B – Cody Bellinger, Dodgers

2B – Ian Happ, Cubs

SS – Paul DeJong, Cardinals

3B – Rafael Devers, Red Sox

OF – Aaron Judge, Yankees

OF – Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox

OF – Trey Mancini, Orioles

RHP – German Marquez, Rockies

LHP – Jordan Montgomery, Yankees

RP – Josh Hader, Brewers

]]>http://sportsmediareport.net/2017/11/07/the-topps-company-unveils-the-topps-mlb-all-star-rookie-team/feed/0Topps Reaches 1,000,000 NOW Cards Soldhttp://sportsmediareport.net/2017/10/03/topps-reaches-1000000-now-cards-sold/
http://sportsmediareport.net/2017/10/03/topps-reaches-1000000-now-cards-sold/#commentsTue, 03 Oct 2017 15:10:23 +0000http://sportsmediareport.net/?p=2322Baseball fans have craved ways to commemorate the biggest and brightest moments of this year’s exciting MLB season and Topps NOW™ physical baseball cards continue to offer a unique collectible to celebrate those moments every day. The Topps NOW cards, available for only 24 hours exclusively on Topps.com and then never offered again, captured those many moments throughout the season for baseball fans as the on-demand trading card program reached an incredible milestone with 1 million cards sold.

“Topps NOW has been a truly innovative program that Topps was thrilled to bring to sports fans and collectors first,” said David Leiner, General Manager and Vice President of North American Sports & Entertainment at Topps. “The program resonated with baseball fans because it helped bring them closer to a sport they are truly passionate about. Whether it’s a walk-off win, an amazing home run-robbing catch or a great milestone, fans know they can count on Topps NOW to capture those moments almost immediately.”

Topps NOW launched in 2016 from the exclusive trading card partner of MLB, commemorating amazing moments such as New York Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon’s epic home run, Ichiro’s 3,000th MLB career hit, and the captivating World Series title run for the Chicago Cubs.

This year’s Topps NOW moments have been led by top rookies such as New York Yankees Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Dodgers Cody Bellinger. Judge’s meteoric rise with his impressive rookie season has also set Topps NOW records, which led Topps NOW to the monumental 1-million mark.

The Topps NOW card featuring Judge’s record-breaking 50th home run as a rookie sold 16,138 copies, which broke the Topps NOW single-card record by nearly 5,000 cards. The Topps NOW card commemorating Ichiro’s 3,000th career from 2016 held the previous record, which stood at 11,550. In total, Judge’s Topps NOW cards have sold nearly 100,000 copies.

However, Judge’s Topps NOW cards aren’t simply about breaking records. Topps NOW has given baseball fans a different way to chronicle what has turned into an incredible soon-to-be award-winning season.

“Judge has really grabbed the attention of baseball fans everywhere,” Leiner said. “His Topps NOW cards have been some of the most popular in the program from his debut in 2016 to winning the 2017 Home Run Derby to breaking the rookie record. What better way to commemorate such an incredible season than with Topps NOW chronicling the way.”

Topps NOW MLB cards will continue throughout the postseason, capturing all the great playoff moments with the inevitable moment the World Series champion emerges. Visit Topps.com daily to see the exclusive Topps NOW cards.

]]>http://sportsmediareport.net/2017/10/03/topps-reaches-1000000-now-cards-sold/feed/0Proceeds From Topps NOW Card For Astros Moment of Silence To American Red Crosshttp://sportsmediareport.net/2017/08/31/proceeds-from-topps-now-card-for-astros-moment-of-silence-to-american-red-cross/
http://sportsmediareport.net/2017/08/31/proceeds-from-topps-now-card-for-astros-moment-of-silence-to-american-red-cross/#commentsThu, 31 Aug 2017 13:01:15 +0000http://sportsmediareport.net/?p=2277Topps NOW has celebrated the great moments of the MLB season for the past two years. A current Topps NOW card depicting the Astros during the moment of silence before Tuesday’s game vs. the Rangers is more poignant than most. All proceeds from the sale of this piece, available through 3 p.m. ET Thursday, will go to the American Red Cross for hurricane/flood relief.

National Baseball Card Day celebrates a thrilling hobby with all that is fun about baseball. Topps, Major League Baseball, and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) are once again partnering to make National Baseball Card Day an unforgettable event. Hobby shops across North America and all 30 Major League Baseball teams will take part in the festivities – giving new and longtime collectors a chance to explore this amazing hobby.

Major Leaguers will also demonstrate their support for National Baseball Card Day when they help get things started on Friday, August 11, by giving away some sample packs from the field prior to games that day.

Topps has seen double-digit growth through the strength of innovative programs like Topps NOW, which celebrates baseball’s greatest moments as they happen, with new offerings each day, each available for 24 hours. Topps is closing in on 1,000,000 Topps NOW cards sold since its introduction in April 2016.

The Topps Company, licensee of the Major League Baseball Players Association and the exclusive trading card partner of Major League Baseball, has created baseball cards for more than 65 years. Baseball card collecting continues to provide great childhood memories to millions of fans – young and old alike – and brings family and friends together through the joy of connecting with their favorite baseball players by opening packs of cards.

“As baseball fans get more and more excited about baseball cards, we wanted to create a special day to celebrate this hobby as well as those who make it special,” said David Leiner, Topps VP and General Manager of North American Sports and Entertainment. “We see National Baseball Card Day as a way for longtime collectors to celebrate what they love about the hobby and give new collectors a chance to see everything baseball cards have to offer.”

Another important influence in the industry’s continued growth is the early success of this season’s crop of rookies, including Cody Bellinger, Andrew Benintendi, Dansby Swanson, Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel.

National Baseball Card Day is an exciting opportunity for baseball fans to visit their local hobby shops, where shop owners will hand out prizes and hold special events as they make the card shop-going experience extraordinary for everyone.

“National Baseball Card day shines a spotlight on the thrill and excitement we all experience whenever we open a pack of baseball cards,” said Evan Kaplan, Director, Licensing and Business Development at the Major League Baseball Players Association. “Fans and collectors alike will love receiving free cards of their favorite players; and we look forward to a big turnout on a day dedicated to honor the long-standing tradition of card collecting.”

Those who visit participating card shops on National Baseball Card Day will get a free pack of cards, and an opportunity to get an exclusive Topps® card of Mike Trout with a $10 purchase of Topps® products, while supplies last.

Starting July 20, each of MLB’s 30 teams have held in-stadium giveaways in anticipation of National Baseball Card Day, giving out team specific four-card packs. Visit www.Topps.com to see a full list of dates and locations.

National Baseball Card Day started as a hobby shop giveaway, and has now turned into an annual celebration with family and friends marking their calendars to enjoy the baseball card collecting experience together.

For more information on National Baseball Card Day and to view a list of participating stores, visit www.Topps.com. Fans can follow along with National Baseball Card activities and events by searching #ToppsBaseballCardDay on their social media channels and by using the hashtag when posting their own related content.